ONE MORE YEAR, ANOTHER GRADUATION

[Tonny2]

       OJO        HELLO POZ FAMILY

LAST SUNDAY I WENT TO MY NEPHEWS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY, MY THIRD ONE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS (TWO NEPHEWS ONE NIECE). AS I MENTIONED LAST YEARS, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING THESE EVENTS, WHEN I WAS TOLD, THAT I WOULD LIVE JUST TWO MORE YEARS AFTER MY DIAGNOSIS IN NOVEMBER 94, EVEN WHEN I LIVED WITH AIDS FOR FIVE YEARS AFTER MY DIAGNOSIS DUE TO TREATMENT FAILURES, (I WAS ALREADY LIVING WITH AIDS BEFORE MY DX, MY CD4=20). 22 YEARS LATER, I'M STILL HERE WITNESSING MY FAMILY'S GOALS.

I WASN'T EASY THO, HIV/AIDS ALMOST KICKED MY BUTT THREE TIMES, AND, IT WON SOME BATTLES, LEAVING ME LEGALLY BLIND, BUT I GUESS, I CAN'T COMPLAIN, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED, HIV/AIDS, WAS STILL A DEATH SENTENCE. WHY AM I STILL HERE?, I DON'T KNOW,  I'M ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES....ANYWAY, NOW A DAYS, GETTING A HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSIS IS STILL A BIG SHOCK, A BIG LIFE CHANGING EVENT, BUT YOU NEWLY DIAGNOSED FOLKS, CAN STILL MAKE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, KEEP LOOKING FORWARD, JUST BY BEING DISCIPLINED TAKING YOUR MEDICATIONS, SOME OF YOU JUST TAKE A PILL A DAY, AND HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE ABOUT LIFE. BACK IN THE DAY, WE, LTS, DIDN'T HAVE THAT CHANCE, SOME OF US, MADE PLANS FOR OUR FUNERALS, OTHERS WOULD GO AND SPEND ALL THEIR SAVING TO ENJOY WHAT SOME OF US THOUGHT IT WAS THE LAST VACATION WE WOULD HAD. AS I SAID, I, AS OTHERS LUCKY ONES, SURVIVED THIS VIRUS.

IF I MAY GIVE YOU AN ADVICE, DO NOT THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE, AM I GOING TO GET SICK?, WHAT IS THE LONG TERM MED'S SIDE EFFECTS?, ETC., JUST CONCENTRATE IN LIVING YOUR  PRESENT AT THE FULLEST, BECAUSE LIFE IS STILL WORTHY AFTER A HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSIS, EVEN FOR A LEGALLY BLIND GUY LIKE ME...BEST OF LUCK  AND CYBER HUGS TO ALL OF YOU   ;P                                OJO

PS. PLEASE EXCUSE MY BAD ENGLISH

[paintedroom]

BIG LOVE ALWAYS GOES OUT TO YOU TONNY

YOUR WISE AND HEARTENING ADVICE IS A BULLSEYE AND BECOMING A GREATER REALITY FOR THIS IRISHMAN.

THEY TELL US HARDSHIP BUILDS CHARACTER..I THINK YOU A SUPERMAN !

HUGS,P.

[Tonny2]

        OJO         HELLO MY FRIEND PAINTEDROOM. THANKS FOR YOUR KIND WORDS...I KNOW YOU ARE HAVING UPS AND DOWNS AS MANY OF US HAVE GONE THROUGH WHILE LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH HIV/AIDS, BUT, TRUST ME, IT WILL GET BETTER AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A GOOD AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT YOUR NEW NORMAL, OUR NEW NORMAL LIFE...AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, NOW, GETTING A HIV/AIDS DX IS STILL A VERY HARD DIAGNOSIS, BUT, IT TSKES ONE PILL TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE VIRUS SO, YOU CAN TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE...PROBABLY, YOU ARE  OVER THE 200 CD4 LEVEL, THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, JUST HANG IN THERE...THANKS AGAIN FOR REPLYING...CYBER HUG ALL THE WAY TO IRELAND, I'M COMING TO VISIT PRETTY SOON MAYBE WE CAN MEET IN PERSON  ;p                                                                                            OJO

[Lightfighter]

THATS AWESOME TO HEAR TONNY.  IM GLAD YOURE STILL AROUND AND CAN BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US NEWBIES. 

I HOPE YOU SEE MANY MORE GRADUATIONS AND LIFE MILESTONES.

[DANIELtakashi]

WONDERFUL.
THANKS FOR THE GOOD NEWS.

[paintedroom]

IF YOU COME TO IRELAND..ABSOLUTELY !

[PittGurl]

awww my cyber boyfriend Tonny!!!  So proud of you <3  You are my cheerleader and so many others too!  You always put it in perspective. Thank you....you are a blessing..... besitos!

[Tonny2]

          ojo         Hello my favorite gurl and cyber girlfriend...you are so kind, you say that just because i'm your cyber boyfriend...But, yes, I never thought I would see my nephews/nieces in college and out of high school. My niece told me that she wants to see me in her wedding day, she is only 19 and planning to get married when she turns 30 tears old, I guess I will wait till then...thanks again my dear...mas besitos para ti